Want to know what mix of breeds your dog is? Want to know which hereditary disorders your mixed-breed or purebred dog is at risk for or carries? About a decade ago, companies began marketing panel tests that incorporated multiple genetic markers to help dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians determine a dog’s ancestry. Recently, companies have expanded into panel testing for multiple genetic disorders in dogs.

AVMA

The Report on the Market for Veterinary Services, the fourth and final of the AVMA’s 2016 Economic Reports series, has information on practices’ capacity relative to demand, including regional and practice-type variations; opportunities associated with pet insurance, with information on preferences of possible policy buyers; a look at the habits of dog owners in purchasing veterinary services in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area; and perspectives on excess capacity in the veterinary industry, including considerations relative to the prices of services offered.

Issues

The Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in January confirmed a report of New World screwworm infestation in a stray dog near Homestead, Florida, nearly a hundred miles northeast of where the parasite was discovered last October. The government’s preliminary investigation suggests fly larvae were likely introduced in the Keys by people or their animals.

Practice

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America approved the establishment of the Academy of Laboratory Animal Veterinary Technicians and Nurses this past November. That makes the new group the 14th veterinary technician specialty.

Community

Dr. Robert Morton Miller, the witty sage behind the long-running “Mind Over Miller” column and the cartoons published under the moniker “RMM,” turned 90 on March 4. He may be too busy to notice, however. “I only retired from practice,” Dr. Miller said. “I’m busy all day, every day.”